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August 28, 2013: He Had A Dream

Fifty years ago, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic ‘I have a Dream’ speech, articulating a future in which all Americans would have equal access to the liberties promised by our Founding Fathers. The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 soon followed.

As Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American president, spoke on the anniversary of the march, it may seem tempting to conclude that all of Dr. King's dream has been realized. For sure, much has been accomplished; America is a far more diverse and tolerant nation. On the other hand, recent events serve as a stark reminder that hard-won gains can be reversed.

Mere months after the Supreme Court declared a key section of the landmark Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, some states are undertaking troubling steps to further weaken the Act's protections, particularly for minority voters. New efforts in Texas, North Carolina and Florida would limit early voting hours, eliminate same-day voter registration, require photo IDs at the polls, and make it difficult for college students to register before their 18th birthday or vote on campus.

Proponents of these controversial measures disingenuously defend them as necessary to combat voter fraud. These efforts are nothing less than a naked attempt to disenfranchise what the Brennan Center estimates could be up to 5 million young, minority, and low-income voters. And they can't be allowed to stand or spread.

Free and equal access to the voting booth is central to our democracy and is at the core of our constitution.

Fifty years after Dr. King's dream helped moved America forward, there should be no retreat from his stirring vision of an America where justice and Democracy are truly extended to all.

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